Road less traveled

Shanghai

Dongtan Wetland

Shanghai is such a busy city that sometimes one has to crack his or her mind to find a place to get away.

For those who are fond of nature, Dongtan Wetland in Chongming Island is a premier choice. The wetland, covering more than 240 sq km, is the biggest well-preserved beach wetland in the Yangtze Delta region.

A total of 290 species of birds are found in Dongtan Wetland and more than 1 million water birds transit in this area every year.

Chongming Island also boasts of about 100 hooded cranes, a vulnerable species with a total global population of only about 10,000.

Visitors are advised not to wear bright colored clothes, which might disturb the birds, known for having acute vision. In fact, visitors will get to see more if they wear plain colored clothes. The same goes for photography - do not use flashlights, which might frighten the fowls away.

Birds also have very sensitive hearing. To prevent them from flying away, do not make any noise when bird watching.

The island is also known for its crabs - not for watching but to be savored. Many of the restaurants on the island serve fresh and delicious crustaceans. Chenjiazhen town has the largest crab market in Chongming Island and is the source of crabs sold throughout Shanghai.

Location: Dongwang road, Dongtan, Chongming Island, Shanghai.

Tel: 021-3936-7000

Open: 9 am-5 pm

Qibao ancient town

For those who want to integrate into the life of the locals, try Shanghai's ancient town of Qibao.

Apart from the ancient-style buildings, stone bridges and small rivers, the town is a food haven.

Feast your eyes on the ancient-style buildings before heading to the food street where your stomach will control your mind.

Dozens of traditional food from the Yangtze Delta region can be found in Qibao. And it is easy to find where the main food thoroughfare is - just follow the human traffic and be led by your nose.

Visitors will be spoiled for choice with the selection of cuisines. So, take time to see what's available before settling on one store.

One of the must-try delicacies is dumpling dessert. It is steaming white and soft rice balls that are usually placed in a blue and white porcelain bowl. Do not put the whole ball into the mouth because the black sesame paste inside the ball might scald the tongue. Instead, take a small bite so that the black sesame can cool off a little before you gulp the whole dumpling.

There are also round shaped molds filled with caramel colored cake - another local favorite. It is the crabapple cake, which is made of peanuts. It tastes slightly sweet and smells absolutely mouth watering.

For the gastronomic trip to be complete, also try smelly bean curds, white sugar coated hawthorn balls and boiled mutton, among others.